Abuse Investigation Terrified Kids, Prosecutor Says

ST. PAUL — A prosecutor broke down Thursday while testifying how child witnesses in widely publicized sex-abuse cases had been traumatized by the investigation.

Gehl Tucker, a former assistant to Scott County Attorney Kathleen Morris, said child witnesses became terrified during the investigation after coming in contact with 1 of the 24 defendants charged by Morris with sex abuse.

Tucker, testifying at a hearing into the possible removal of Morris for her handling of the investigation, suddenly choked up and asked for a recess.

``Sometimes it would make me angry,`` Tucker said. ``But when I reflected on it, I realized she demanded a good product.``

Morris charged the adults during a lengthy investigation that began in 1983. A couple from Jordan, Minn., was tried and acquitted, one man pleaded guilty and charges against 21 others were dropped.

One of the former defendants petitioned for the removal of Morris from office, and Gov. Rudy Perpich ordered a three-member commission to determine if there was malfeasance in her handling of the case.

Stephen Doyle, Morris` attorney, said he planned to introduce a summary of the five days preceding the dropping of the charges to help the commission understand the rationale behind the decision.

Doyle said he would call state Atty. Gen. Hubert Humphrey III as a witness. After introducing his evidence, Doyle said he would ``demand that the commission go to the governor and recommend there be no removal.``

Morris testified earlier that an investigation into homicide allegations plus concern over the welfare of child witnesses entered into the decision to drop charges.

Her eyes teared up as Miriam Wolf, an assistant county attorney, told the commission she knew Morris feared that child witnesses would hear of the dismissals and think ``another adult was abandoning them.